Facebook as Computer-Assisted Language Learning CALL

e. Students will take responsibility for their works because they have a larger audience when they use Facebook. This may empower them and their work and leads to self-directed learning. f. Students can read comments for the class as a whole and comments directly and individually on them. This maximizes feedback and contact with the teacher. g. Parents can view their children‟s work and progress. 2. Disadvantages: a. The relationship between teacher and students can somehow be tricky. Teachers need to realize that even though the environment is virtual, the identity should not be hidden. b. It takes time to design, edit and modify digital learning materials for teachers. Sometimes it is time-consuming and frustrating to search for the materials online. Moreover, the learners will be encountered with a pool of information with little control over the quality and accuracy of the content. c. The learners must have access to computer and internet. Hence, when the technology is not reliable or the internet is not available, the learners will be faced with difficulties. d. Some learners find it so difficult to read the materials online because they are accustomed to the traditional book-centered approach. e. Students will spare more time on playing computer games and chatting on-line on the pretext of doing writing on internet. f. Writing tasks online will lead students to „copy-paste‟ from the extensive online resources without thinking. In conclusion, almost all of things in the world have strengths and weaknesses and so do Facebook. People can take the good side of this site and avoid the negative side to support the teaching and learning activities especially in teaching writing.

H. Peer Assessment in Writing

Assessment is a key element in language learning. There are some variants of assessment in writing. One of them is peer assessment. Referring to Falchikov in Ako‟s book, “peer assessment requires students to provide either feedback or grades or both to their peers on a product or a performance, based on the criteria of excellence for that product or event which students may have been involved in determining ”. 30 Moreover, Liu and Hansen in Bijami, et.al., emphasized that peer assessment is sources of information and a medium of interaction that involves comment and critique for each other‟s‟ writing in both written and oral formats in the process of writing. It is a way that learners assume roles and responsibilities normally taken on by a formally trained teacher, tutor, or editor. 31 On the other words, in peer assessment, every student has to give their personal comment, suggestion, and correction to their friend‟s writing in both written and oral formats based on the certain criteria of the material.

I. Advantages and Disadvantages of Peer Assessment

As Bijami, et. al., said in their article, there are some advantages and disadvantages of peer assessment. 32 They are: 1. Advantages a. Peer feedback encourages student to participate in the classroom activity and make them less passively teacher- dependent b. Using peer feedback can lead less writing apprehension and more confidence as well as establish a social context for writing. c. Peer feedback is beneficial in developing critical thinking, learner autonomy and social interaction among students. 30 Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako, Assessment Matters: Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment, New Zealand: Teaching Development Unit, 2012, p. 10. 31 Maryam Bi jami, et.al., “Peer Feedback in Learning English Writing: Advantages and Disadvantages”, Journal of Studies in Education 3, No. 4 2013, p. 93. 32 Ibid, p. 94.